Service stand and serving apparatus



1931- B. H. ALLEN 1,819,806

SERVICE STAND AND SERVING APPARATUS Filed May 25, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet lI A an zjwuan coz Aug. 18, 1931. B. H. ALLEN SERVICE STAND AND SERVINGAPPARATUS Filed May 25. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 18, 1931- B. H. ALLEYN1,819,806

SERVICE STAND AND SERVING APPARATUS Filed May 25. 1929 4 sheets sheet sB. H. ALLEN 1,819,806

SERVICE STAND AND SERVING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet. 4

Aug. 18, 1931.

Filed May 25, '1929 4 ago a; I gwvento'a w BHJA lien i w 3m dmfiPatented Aug. 18, 1931 PATENTY OFFICE BENJAMIN H. ALLEN, 0F BEAUMONT,TEXAS SERVICE STAND AND SERVING APPARATUS Application filed May 25,1929. Serial No. 365,839.

My invention relates to an I apparatus whereby foods or dr'inksmay beserved to customers from a, service stand while said customers areseated in their automobiles.

In the serving of drinks and food from a service stand to customers inautomobiles it is quite a problem to arrange for the parking of thevehicles in such manner that a maximum number may be served from aparking place of limited area, and it is an object of my invention toprovide a stand in 1 which the parking places for the vehicles arearranged in the most convenient and compact manner and to provide adriveway aproaching and leaving the parking spaces whereby the vehiclesare forced to drive in at a prop. er entrance and leave by a separateexit so as to force the drivers to drive their cars in the properdirection.

It is another object of the invention to provide a means forautomatically serving food or drink to those in the vehicles when theyare parked in one of the spaces along the serving stand. I contemplatethe provision of a trackway along the stand with means to move traysalong the trackway and upon a table adjacent to the car in which thepatrons are sitting.

I desire to provide automatic means for returning the tray when thevehicle has moved out from the stall in which it 'was served so that thesaid tray with the dishes thereon may be received at the central stand.

The invention contemplates the provision of automatic means for guidingeach separate tray to the stall in which the car is parked and todeliver the same upon the table adjacent the said car and the inventiontherefore consists in automatic devices whereby the tray is properlyguided and stopped at the proper place and is. again started and movedback to the central stand by automatically operated devices.

Referring to the drawings herewith, Fig. 1 is a plan view illustratingthe arrangement of parking stalls along a serving stand and showing theroute of the vehicles into and from the area upon which the stand isplaced.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a one-way gate, which may be placed at theentrance and exit from the lot upon which the stand is placed so as toguide the traflic in one direction only.

Fig. 3 is a broken plan view of a portion of the serving stand showingthe means by which the tray may be guided onto the table adjacent one ofthe parking places.

Figs. 4 and 5 are broken plan and side views respectively of anautomatically operated switch, by means of which the current controllingthe movement of the trays is turned on or off as the case may be.

Fig. 6 is a plan view similar to that shown in Fig. 3 but illustratingthe arrangement of the adjacent tracks upon which the trays may be movedalong the stand.

Fig. is a side view partly in section showing one of the movable traysmounted to ride along the tracks upon the stand.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the said tray, a portion thereof beingbroken away for greater clearness.

Fig. 9 is a front view of the said tray mounted upon its supportingcarriage.

Fig. 10 is a transverse section thru a portion of the tray.

Fig. 11 is a side view partly in section showing the table on which thefood is delivered adjacent the car and illustrating the means by whichthe table is moved from one track to another. 1 v

Fig; 12 is a broken side elevation showing the forward support for thetable upon which the tray is delivered. I r

Fi 13 is a broken view of the'tables shown in Fig. 12 and showing a partof the tray adapted to operate on the table, certain parts being insection for greater clearness.

The service stand which I contemplate constructing is arrangedapproximately as shown in Fig. 1. There is a central stand 1, which willbe equipped for the preparation and delivery of the food and drinks tothe customers. This stand is preferably toward the forward or streetside of the lot upon which the stand is constructed. Extending inwardlyfrom the central service stand 1 is constructed preferably to allowtraffic in one The stalls indicated at 3, on each side of the stand, arearranged so that the automobiles driving in the front gate 94 willfreely move into the said stalls which are arranged on an angle to thestand for easy parking. At one side of each stall is a table 4, uponwhich the tray may be moved. It will be noted that the stalls on oneside of the stand direction only, and in Fig. 2 I have shown aconstruction of the gate for this purpose which I prefer. It comprises abase block 7 at each side of the driveway, furnishing a mounting for ashaft 8 upon which the gate member 9 is pivoted. Said gate is heldupwardly from a horizontal position by means of a spring 10. The gateis-inclined away from the direction in which the car approaches saidgate and itwill be seen that with a gate such as is shown in Fig. 2,arranged at the entrance to the driveway, that the car will easily moveinwardly onto the gate, depressing it so that it will form noobstruction to the entrance of the car. A similar gate 6 at the outletwill be inclined in the opposite direction to permit the car to moveoutwardly but preventing the entrance of cars at the exit ate, becauseof the direction of inclination ofthegate relative to cars approachingthe exit gateway. I may, if desired, provide electrical contacts 11 and11 between the lower side of the gate and a base member 12, so that, ifdesired, electrical signals may be given indicating the entrance or exitof vehicles from the lot upon which the stand is placed. This, however,forms no part of the present invention.

In carrying out my invention I contemplate the provision of'a centraltrack shown at 13 in Figs. 3 and 6. These tracks are similar to toyrailways and run from the serving station at the forward end to theouter end of the service stand. It is to be understood that the tracks,and the electrical connections connected therewith, and with themovingtrays mounted on the said rails, may be of ordinary construction such asare in common use in toy railway trains and the like, and as Icontemplate no new features connected with the propelling of the traysalong the track this feature has not been illustrated.

With reference to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the construction of the tray may benoted. I pro vide a longitudinal frame 14 having transverse shafts 15 atthe forward and rearward ends. These shafts constitute axles upon whichthe wheels 16 are mounted, said wheels being provided with flanges as inthe case of railway car wheels and are adapted to ride along the rails17 upon the track. The tray is mounted upon the frame work 14. At oneend of said tray is mounted an electric motor 18 geared up to one of theshafts 15 to rotate said shaft and drive the tray along the track. It isto be understood that this motor is a reversible type motor and willoperate in either direction according to the direction in which thecurrent is delivered to the motor. As the circuit is made from the rail17 thru the axle of the car to the motor an insulating connection 19 inthe axle is provided to prevent shortcircuiting of the electricalconnection.

The tray itself may be of any desired construction. I have shown a trayof approximately rectangular shape, the sides being extended upwardly at20 and the dish-receiving receptacle on the tray is mounted upon adrawer 21, which is slidable to and from the body of the tray 20. Uponthis drawer or moving portion of the tray may be mounted a plurality ofsupports indicated at 22 in Figs. 8 and 10. These supports are box-likestructures having the upper side formed with a series of openings 23therein, into which dishes of the desired kind may be placed andsupported so that they will not be jarred from position while the trayis operating. Springs 23 tend to hold the sliding drawer 21 in positionwithin the tray. The said drawer may be held in extended position,however, by a latching rod 24 mounted in the base of the sliding memberand having a hooked end 25 adapted to engage in any one of a series ofopenings 26 in the base of the tray. Art operating handle 27 at theforward side of the tray enables the operatdr to move'the latch so as tolock the tray in the desired position and to again release it and allowthe springs 23 to move the tray into closed position.

The tray thus constructed is adapted to move along the main track 17 ofthe stand. The tables 4 along the sides of the stalls also have tracksupon which the trays may be moved. A switch, shown best in Fig. 3, isprovided to direct the tray from the main track onto the side trackindicated at 28. Said switch comprises a curved section of track 29pivotally connected at one end 29 to the stand. The free end is securedto a cross bar 30. The other end of said cross bar is connected to asecond pivoted section of rail 31. Said section is adapted to be movedwith the bar 30 so as to switch the tray from the main track onto theside track.

The manner in which the switch is moved will be seen from Fig. 3. Thereis a laterally extending arm 32 on the cross bar 30, said arm having apiece of soft iron 33 at its forward end placed adjacent to anelectrical magnet 34 and adapted to be moved when said magnet isenergized so as to throw the switch and move the tray onto the sidetrack in an obvious manner. 4

This operation of the switch is provided. thru a contact lever at theside of the track. -Said lever has an arm 35 extending along themaintrack and pivoted at 36 to a supporting bracket. Another arm 37 rigidlyconnected with the lever 35 extends outwardly along the side track 28and has a contact 38 theron. Said contact is adjacent a stationarycontact 39, which is connected thru wires, not shown, with theelectro-mag net 34. There is an arm 40 on the tray which extendslaterally from the tray so as to engage the arm 35 of the lever, andwhen such contact is made the lever arm 35 is thrown outwardly, closingthe switch 3839 and throwing the control bar 30 of the track switchdirecting the tray onto the side track.

The table 4 has tracks thereon connecting with the side track and thistable is operated thru mechanism shown best in Figs. 11 to 13,inclusive. It is to be noted that the stand upon which the trays areoperated has an upper deck 41 and a lower deck 42. The trays are movedoutwardly along the upper deck and are returned to the central stand byway of the lower deck and it is to be understood that the trackway uponthe two decks of the trolled as to rate of movement by a valve 46 at thelower ends of the cylinder. Said valve is pivoted at 47 and has aconstricted orifice 48 therethru. It will be noted that when the post 43is moved upwardly the valve 46 will open, allowing free movement of airor other fluid following the piston 45 so that its action will not beimpeded. However, when the table is dropped downwardly the pistons 45force the fluid in front of them, closing the valve 46 and allowing asmall outlet thru the orifice 48 so as to absorb the shock of thefalling table. This will allow the table to move slowly downward tobring the table into registration with the lower deck 42.

The table is equipped with a plurality of levers on its lower side bymeans of which it may be elevated. These levers are operated thru apivoted ramp or gate '49. Said ramp is pivoted at 50 so that when thecar drives into the stall it will move up this ramp, depressing the sameso as to move the forward end 51 downwardly to operate the levers.The-said levers comprise a main arm 52 pivotedrat 53 upon a bracketsecured to the leg of the table. The end of the lever is pivotallyconnected at 54 to a link 55 connected to the forward end 51 of theramp. The other end of the lever 52 has a rounded member 56 thereon toengage the lower side of the table. There is a second arm 57 on theopposite leg of the table pivoted at 58 and extending beyond said pivotfor connection at 59 to a connecting bar 60, which connects at itsforward end at 61 to the lever 52. It will be seen that the movement ofthe lever 52 thru connection of the bar 60 will move the lever 57 so asto exert an upward pressure of the end 56 upon the lower side of thetable. Thus when the car enters the stall it will depress the ramp 49,moving the levers to raise the table from registration with the lowerdeck 42 to registration with the upper deck 41 of the stand. When thetray is moved outwardly to be received upon the table 4, said table willbe in'position, as shownin Fig. 12, to receive the tray.

The tray is automatically stopped at the proper place upon the table 4by means of an arm 62 mounted upon the forward end of the base 63 of thetray. The construction of the arm 62 will be seen from Figs. 4 and 5.The arm is curved downwardly from above the tray 63 and is pivoted at 64upon a transverse member supported in bearings 65 on the underside ofthe tray. The other end of the member 64 is provided with a contact arm67 which has a pin 68 projecting downwardly above a longitudinal slot 69in the table. The pin 68 has a contact member 70 on its upper sideadapted to engage with a contact 71 upon the tray, and it is to beunderstood that these contact members when closed throw the motor intothe circuit so that the said motor will be operated.

The arm 62 is adapted to engage against an arm 72 formed upon a lever 73 pivoted at 74 upon a stop plate 75. Said lever 73 is engaged by aspring 76 which tends to hold said lever forwardly against a stop member77', as shown in Fig. 3. The said lever is formed with a shoulder 78adjacent the pivot point 74 so that when said lever is pushed backwardlyby contact with the arm 62 upon the tray, the said shoulder will engageagainst a guide rod 79 upon the table and act as a brake to preventmovement of the stop plate 75.

The rod or rail 79 upon the edge of the table is secured to each endthereof at one side and is curved inwardly at each end to bring the saidrail above the supporting plate 80 upon the tray, and it'will be seenfrom Fig. 3 that said arm 80 will move in beneath said rail as the trayis moved onto the table. Thus when the-movable portion of the tray isdrawn laterally toward the car in which the guests are seated, the plate80 will engage beneath the rail and prevent unbalancing of the tray uponthe track.

The tray may be moved by the guests in the car along the table by meansof a line or cable intended to move.

81 mounted upon the table and running freely about pulleys 82 at eachcorner of the table and secured to one end of the stop plate 75. Saidplate at this end is provided with upwardly extended rollers 82 whichengage against the rail 7 9 and assist in guiding the same along thetable. By movement of the cable 81 the stop member may be adjusted inposition on the table and the position of the tray may be alsocontrolled.

When the vehicle is backed ofi of the ramp 49 the table will be free todrop by gravity to its lower position, registering with the lower deck42 of the table. Due to the dash pot effect of the cylinder 44 and thevalve 46, this movement will be gradual and thetable will move slowlyfrom one position to the other. When the table moves downwardly into itspower position the pin 68 will be engaged by a rod 84. Said rod is shownbest in Figs. 12 and 13. It is secured to the legs of the table and iscurved from its engagement with the legs so as to be positioned directlybelow the slot 69in the table.

When the table is lowered into the position shown in Fig. '11, said rod84 will project upwardly thru the slot 69 into contact with the pin 68upon the lever62 and move said lever to close the contact between thepoints 70 and 71, thus actuating the motor 18. It

is to be understood that the current running in the rails of the lowerdeck of the table is in a direction opposite to that in the upper deckof the stand so that the motor will be rotated in a direction reverse ofthat which carried the tray to the table. This will, therefore, startthe train on its return along the lower deck 62 t0 the service stand.

In the operation of my device it is to be understood that each stallalong the stand will be provided with a separate tray, and the arm 40 oneach tray, which engages the switch lever 35, will be positionedrelative to the said lever 35 of each of the stalls so that it willengage none of the levers 35 but the correct one in which the particulartray is Thus the operator may receive an order from the car as it drivesin, or by telephone from the stall in which the car is parked, and theorder may be placed quickly upon the proper tray to serve the stall inwhich the car is parked, and the tray may be moved outwardly by themotor and switched onto the track leading to'the table of the stall inwhich the car is parked. The occupants of the car may move the tray tothe proper position and pull out the sliding open the switch 71 and stopthe motor and the movement of the arm 72 on the stop plate 75 will bringthe shoulder 78 of the lever 73 against the rail 79 and act as a braketo stop the tray. It will be obvious that the stop plate 75 may bepositioned at any point along the table.

When the occupants of the stall have been served the vehcle will bebacked out of the stall, allowing the table to drop into its lowerposition and the motor will be again started to return the tray. Thevehicle will drive out thru the exit gate 5 and will pass the servicestand where the check may be paid.

It will be seen that I, have provided an automatic service stand wherebypersonal attendance upon the patrons will be reduced to a minimum. Theoccupants of the car will have the orders filled promptly and will notbe interrupted in their conversation by the presence of an attendant.The arrangement of the stalls relative to the stand will accommodate amaximum of cars within the space in which the stand is placed, and itwill 'be possible to attend to a large number of patrons and eachseparate tray may be operated upon the stand without interference withpatrons in adjacent stalls. The advantages of this construction will beappar- But without further description.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A service installation including a service stand, a laterallyextending delivery stand connected therewith, said delivery stand havingstalls connecting therewith on each side at a convenient, parking angle,a table adjacent each of said stalls, and means to deliver trays fromsaid service stand along said delivery stand on to any selected one ofsaid tables.

2. A service installation including a service stand, a laterallyextending delivery stand connected therewith, said delivery stand havingstalls connecting therewith on each side at a convenient parking angle,a table adjacent each of said stalls, and means to deliver trays alongsaid delivery stand on to any selected one of said tables, and meansautomatically actuated by the movement of a car from a stall to returnthe tray adjacent thereto to said service stand.

3. A service installation including a service stand, a delivery standextending laterally therefrom, tables set at an acute angle to saiddelivery stand, a main trackway along said delivery stand, side trackson each of said tables, trays adapted to move on said tracks, electricmotors on said trays to propel said trays along said tracks,electrically operated switches to direct each tray on to a particularside track, and means on each tray to engage and actuate its particularswitch.

' trays along said 4. A service installation including a service stand,a delivery stand extending laterally therefrom, tables set at an angleto said delivery stand, a main trackway along said delivery stand, sidetracks on each of said tables, traysadapted to move on said tracks,electric motors on said trays to propel said trays along said tracks,electrically operated switches to direct each tray on to a particularside track, and means on each tray to engage and actuate its particularswitch, and means on each table to stop said motors and said traysthereon. g

5. A service installationaincluding a service stand, adeliverystand-extending laterally therefrom, tablesfset at an angle tosaid delivery stand, a main trackway along said delivery stand, sidetracks; on each of said tables, trays adapted move on said tracks,

electric motors on saidftrays to propel said tracks, electricallyoperated switches to direct each tray on to a particular side track, andmeans oItjeach tray to engage and actuate its particular switch, and astop lever on each table adapted to engage means on said trays and stopthe motor thereon and limit the movement of thetray.

6. A service stand, upper and lower trackways extending laterally fromsaid stand, tables adjoining said trackways,

on said tables, and means adjacent each of said tables adapted to bedepressed or rethe level of the upper or stand, an outgoing saidtrackways leased to raise or lower the adjacent table to the level ofthe upper or the lower trackway respectively. 7

7. A service stand, upper and lower trackways extending laterallyfromsaid stand, tables adjoining said trackways, trackways on saidtables, and means adjacent each of said tables adapted to be depressedor released to raise or lower the adjacent table to the lower trackwayrespectively, trays movable on said upper trackways to said tables andbackward from said tables on said lower trackways.

8. A serving device including delivery stands, upper and lower trackwayson said stands, tables extending at an angle to said stands, and leversfor raising or lowering said tables to register with either of saidstands said levers being operable through the weight of a vehiclethereon.

9. A service device including a service trackway on said stand, a returntrackway on said stand, tables connecting with said stand, trays movableon to said tables and elevator means actuated by the weight of a vehicleto bring said tables to register with either of said trackways.

10. A serving device including upper and lower delivery stands, tablesextending laterally from said stands," trackways along said stands andon said tables, said tables being mounted to register" with; either saidupper trackways or lower stands and means actuated by a vehicle adjacentone of said tables to raise that table to the level of said upper stand.

11. A service stand, a delivery stand connected therewith, outward andreturn trackways at difierent levels on said delivery stand,tables-extending laterally from said delivery stand, lateral tracks onsaid tables connecting with said trackways on said stand, trays mountedto move on said trackways, electric means to propel said trays, means toswitch each at said trays to its selected table, brakes on said tablesengaged by said trays to stop said trays, means to move said tables, andmeans actuated by the movement of sai tables to start said trays ontheir return movement along said trackways.

12. A service stand, a delivery stand connected therewith, outward andreturn trackways on said delivery stand, tables extending laterally fromsaid delivery stand, lateral tracks on said tables connecting with saidtrackways on said stand, trays mounted to move on said trackways,electric means

